CHILOQUIN — The
Klamath Tribes voted Tuesday to support a final version of
a water agreement and a plan to remove four Klamath River
dams to restore fish passage.

Tribal members voted
overwhelming to support the Klamath Basin Restoration
Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement
Agreement..

“This is good news not
only for the Tribes, but for the Basin community,” said
Klamath Tribes Chairman Joe Kirk in a statement sent to
news media. “It is a step toward ending decades of strife,
and moving toward a sustainable future for us all.”

The Tribes are among
dozens of stakeholders who have until Feb. 9 to review and
decide whether to support the
369-page restoration agreement before it goes to lawmakers
to secure legislation and funding.

Tribes, farmers,
ranchers, environmentalists and fishermen, as well as
state and federal governments, spent years negotiating the
water agreement, which aims to resolve water disputes in
the Klamath River watershed and provide affordable power
to irrigators. It also supports the Tribes acquiring the
Mazama Tree Farm in northern Klamath County.

Tribal member Jeff
Mitchell said the tree farm is in the northwest corner of
the Tribes’ former reservation.

“This is a significant
economic development opportunity for us and throughout the
county,” he said.

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Tribes vote on water agreement

Stakeholders have until Feb. 9 to decide if they
support KBRA

By TY
BEAVER, Herald and News 1/21/10

Nearly 35
percent of the roughly 3,700 enrolled members of the
Klamath Tribes participated in a vote that
determined the Tribes’ support of the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement and a related dam removal
document.

Ballots were
mailed to tribal members in early January, a few
days before final negotiations were concluded. The
ballots were counted Tuesday.

Tribal leaders
said no changes that would impact voting were
expected to the document.

“We were pretty
much under a tight deadline,” said tribal chairman
Joe Kirk.

Stakeholders who
worked on the restoration agreement have until Feb.
9 to decide whether to support the document, though
an actual signing date has yet to be determined. The
document will then be presented to federal lawmakers
for legislation.